Garment bagger



March 29, 1955 JOHNSON 2,705,099

GARMENT BAGGER Filed May 29, 1955 2 Shets-Sheet l va 18 Q P 111" E d win R. Johnson INVENTOR.

BY WW 3M5 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 29, 1955 R. JOHNSON GARMENT BAGGER Filed May 29, 1953 IN V EN TOR.

E dwfn R. Johnson 4 O q. \NAW- h m m% .M/ v. 4 M9% M w A H mw k & HM. .IWROV M 5 m Q a F a a. Q Q T M F 6 22 AN F J United States Patent GARMENT BAGGER Edwin R. Johnson, Hibbing, Minn.

Application May 29, 1953, Serial No. 358,246 2 Claims. Cl. 226-18) This invention relates to a machine for bagging garments and is most particularly adapted for use in conjunction with dry cleaning establishments and the like.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an improved form of garment bagger enabling the bagging of garments to be formed in a rapid and efiicient manner.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved form of garment bagger having improved drive and associated control means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device in conformity with the foregoing objects in which the bagging operation is performed by .the vertical downward movement of a sliding head of the action of gravity.

Another object of this inventionis to provide an improved form of garment bagger wherein the sliding head is positively urged to the proper gravity actuation position.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the garment bagger constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the garment bagger shown in Figure 1 showing details of construction; a

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the plane of section line 33 of Figure 2 showing details of the sliding head assembly;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken through the drive mechanism;

Figure 5 is another section taken through the drive mechanism;

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the plane of section line 66 of Figure 4 showing the arrangement of the drive mechanism;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical circuit for the drive assembly;

Figure 8 is a vertical section showing a modified form of garment bagging assembly; and

Figure 9 is a transverse section taken substantially along the plane of section line 9-9 showing details of the head return assembly.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, reference numeral 10 indicates generally a vertical wall while the reference numeral 12 designates the floor of an establishment, the garment bagger being adapted for attachment to an elevated point on the wall 10 in the manner shown. The horizontal support arm portion 14 of the garment bagger is provided at one end with the securing flange assembly 16 by means of which it is secured to the wall and the other end of this support arm is provided with the elbow 18 receiving the plug member 20 whose outer face is provided with a pair of spaced vertical guide rods 22 depending therefrom in parallel relation. The lower ends of the guide rods carry the eye assembly indicated generally by the reference character 22 which includes the enlarged stop portion 24 and the loop or eye 26. A sliding head indicated generally by the reference character 28 includes the main body portion 30 provided with a pair of bores receiving the guide rods 22 in a manner shown most clearly in Figure 3 and this head also includes the horizontally extending ear 32 having the vertical opening 34 therethrough. The head is also provided with an L-shaped hook 36 whose pointed end ex- 2,705,099 Patented Mar. 29, 1955 tends upwardly in the manner shown and is adapted to receive the upper endof a garment bag indicated generally by the reference character 38. Cable 40 has a free end projecting through the vertical aperture 34 in the ear portion 32 of the head and the knotted end 42 thereof and associated sleeve 44 permit the head to be slid upwardly to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2 by this cable as will be presently apparent.

The support arm 14 is of tubular construction and'is provided on its lower surface with openings 46 and 48 through which the cable 40 gains ingress and egress to the interior of the tubular support arm, the guide pulleys 50 and 52 being disposed adjacent these openings to properly guide the cord or cable 40.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 46, it will be seen that the generally rectangular housing indicated generally by the reference character 54 includes the shelf 56 and associated support webs 58 which are firmly and rigidly secured to the wall 10 and the opened bottom rectangular cover member 60 secured thereon. The electric motor 62 is suitably secured to the shelf portion 56 and includes the drive shaft 64 and associated pulley 66 over which the belt 68 is trained. The top of the cover member carries one leg 70 of the L-shaped bracket assembly 72 whose other leg 74 rotatably carries the idler pulley 76 on its free end as by the laterally offset shank '78. Bracket 80 is secured to the shelf portion and its vertically extending portion is bifurcated to present spaced legs 82 between which the block 84 is slidably carried, this block being normally urged to a lowermost position of the action of the tension spring 86. This block carries the belttype pulley 88 which engages the belt 68 in the manner shown. A further bracket 90 pivotally carries at its upper end the arm 92 which projects radially of the sleeve 94 and is pivotally secured thereto as by the pin 96. The driven shaft 98 is journaled within the sleeve and its opposite ends extend therebeyond for attachment to the driven pulley 100 and the reel 102, respectively. Normally, the tension spring 104 secured at its opposite ends to the arm 92 and the bracket 106 respectively urges the sleeve assembly to the position shown in Figure 5 wherein the pulley 100is in engagement with the belt 68 and is driven thereby to rotate the reel assembly whereby the cable 40 will be wound thereon. To effect disengagement between the pulley 100 and the belt 68, the manually controlled plunger 108 is reciprocable in the bushing assembly 110 carried by one side wall of the housing and the inner end of this plunger is connected by means of the idler link 112 to an ear 114 on the arm 92, the outer end of the plunger terminating in the handle portion 116 by means of which it is manually operable.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 7, it will be seen that the conductors 118 supply current to the electric motor 62 provided the limit switch 120 and treadle switch 122 are closed, the former being normally closed and the latter being normally open and movable into closed position by means of the treadle assembly 124, which may be situated at any convenient point on the floor 12 adjacent the machine. The limit switch is disposed on the support arm 14 and includes the plunger 126 which is engageable by the ear 32 of the head to open this switch when the head is in the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. This limit switch will, of course, stop operation of the electric motor 62 when the sliding head has reached the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 to prevent damage to the machine which might otherwise occur.

If desired, a foot treadle 128 and suitable operating cable 130 may be provided for foot actuation of the sleeve 94 to disestablish connection between the electric motor and the reel.

In operation, assuming the assembly to be in the position shown in Figure 1, the garment bag 38 is placed on the hook 36 of the head 28 and the operator actuates the treadle 124 to lift the head upwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. Thereafter, a clothes hanger 132 and associated garment are hung on the eye 22 whereupon the plunger 108 is manually actuated to disengage the pulley 100 from the belt 68 so that the sliding head and associated garment bag may slide by gravity downwardly to the lower position so that the garment bag envelops' the hanger and associated garment. The hanger then can be removed from the eye 22 whereupon the machine is ready for the next garment bagging operation. In this respect, it will be noted that it may be desired to include a manual push button 134 whichmay be utilized alternately with the treadle 124 for lifting the sliding head to the upper position.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 8 and 9, the elongated tubular member indicated generally by the reference numeral 135 is provided with the upper horizontally extending portion 136 and the main vertically extending portion 138 connected thereto by the curved portion 140 in the manner shown with the free end of the horizontal portion secured to the wall by means of the suitable mounting flange 142. The lower surface of the horizontal portion 136 is slotted Substantially throughout its length as indicated by the reference character 144 and bracket plate 146 extends therethrough within the tubular member and is provided therein with a transverse axle pin 148 whose opposite ends carry the rollers 150 engaging the inner surface of the tubular member. The cxterior end of the bracket plate is laterally deformed as at 152 to provide the offset portion 154 carrying the pulley 156 as by the pin 158 and washer 160, this pulley receiving the cord 162 in trained relation thereover and the plate having the arcuate bumper leg 164 extending in protective relation around the pulley 156 for a purpose presently apparent, Another pulley 166 is rotatably car ried by the pin 168 on the bracket 170 rigidly secured adjacent the free end of the horizontal portion 136 of the tubular member and the cord passes thereover in the manner shown to extend into the drive assembly 54. Tension spring 172 is connected at its lower end 174 to a suitable pin rigidly secured between the inner surfaces of the vertical portion 138 and the upper end of the spring is secured in the opening 176 of the bracket plate. The head 180 is provided With the annular inner groove 182 providing a retaining means for the ball bearings 184 by means of which the head is easily slid along the full extent of the tubular member, that is, both the vertical and horizontal portions thereof, it being manifest that when the head reaches the portion 140 of the tubular member it will engage against the bumper 164 of the bracket plate and carry this plate along with it to the dotted line position shown in Figure 8 wherein the tension spring will be pretensioned so as to urge the head into the direction wherein the head would engage the upper end of the vertical portion 138 of the guide element. This, of course, would not take place until the sleeve and associated pulley of the drive assembly 54 were manually actuated out of engagement with the associated drive belt, it being noted in this respect that the drive assembly is identical to that previously described. The

lower end of the tubular guide is provided with the eye assembly 186 and the opposite end is provided with the switch 188 including the plunger 190 engageable by the head to limit the upward motion thereof.

The particular construction of this modified form of garment bagger is such that extremely long garment bags 188 may be utilized in conjunction therewith since the effective length of the garment bag may be the entire length of the tubular guide member.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A garment bagger comprising an elongated tubular member having a horizontally disposed upper end portion adapted to be secured to a Wall, the main portion of said tubular member being vertically disposed in depending relation to said horizontal portion and provided at its lower end with an eye for receiving a hanger and an associated garment,- a bag carrying head received on said tubular member and movable longitudinally therealong between the upper and lower ends thereof, means for moving said head from its lower to its upper position,

means disposed in the path of movement of said head along said horizontal portion for urging said head from its upper position to an intermediate position adjacent the point of intersection ofsaid vertical and horizontal portions whereby the head may fall by gravity therefrom to its lower position.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said horizontal portion is slotted, said last means including a bracket plate projecting through said slot and provided with rollers engaging the inner surface ofsaid horizontal portion, said plate having a bumper engageable by said head, and a spring connected at its opposite ends to an intermediate point with said vertical portion and said bracket plate respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

